Paula Deen and Shannon Daniels

I was born into a family of fabulous southern cooks. Honestly, they are all amazing... My grandmother, my mom, my aunts, even my brother- tremendous talent in the kitchen (Sorry dad, the "goulash" is not that impressive...love you). My grandmother, Estelle, was the type of grandmother that when the garage door went up at her house on Opelika, a tidal wave of sweet and savory aromas would beckon you in the door. She always liked to have something special on hand and was quick to cater to your finicky childish ways... For example, my pumpkin pie was always served in ramekins because I didn't "like" crust. Or, my brother and I had our "own" special dish of cranberry salad every holiday because we did not like pecans... despite all of this, she still loved us! She was one of those amazing grandmothers, truly a precious gem. I still think of her often and cherish the memories we had together.

Me, Mom, and Grandma

So, anyways, why does all of this matter?! Well, growing up, I wasn't a big cook. In fact, I was rarely in the kitchen. I would like to blame Mtv and Beverly Hills 90210, but the fact is I was not all that interested. Around the holidays I grew more involved... But, that was the extent. Funny what LOVE will do to you... When I was dating my husband-to-be, I morphed into a "Martha's got nothing on me" woman and went from mastering the "beginner's" chocolate chip cookie recipe to making banana pudding from scratch (because that is how "his Mamaw made it," not that I have heard that often- *insert sarcasm here). Trust me, it did not all turn out fabulous, my banana pudding- well, of course it did! But, I have had some major mishaps- my husband is sworn to secrecy on a major miscalculation when substituting Sweet N' Low for real sugar... ahhh, that ended up becoming a PB&J evening. He has become a pretty good sport, or he has just quickly learned to keep his mouth shut when it comes to me in the kitchen! ;)

When moving to Singapore, I was a little bewildered as to how the grocery shopping would be and how I would adjust to a new life, house, kitchen, etc. Let me tell you there are major adjustments- sure I am still fortunate, you can get lots of things here, but you still have to problem solve quite frequently! When we moved into our place I discovered that one of the only channels on our television (that is in English and somewhat interesting) is Food Network. So, what show comes on frequently... none other than, Paula Deen. Of course, I know Paula. But, after living here for five months, I KNOW Paula! We have a relationship, a mutual understanding, and a fond appreciation for the finer things in life like... butter and heavy cream. Being from Texas and hearing that Southern drawl coming from Paula reminds me of home... I just love her (yes, I am fully aware she is not from Texas, and I have forgiven her for that).

Most people move to Singapore and lose a bit of weight. Well, "Paula's Party" comes on every morning and I get inspired while having breakfast... So, that wasn't so much the case here, oops. I was making at least two NEW desserts a week! Not to mention some pretty fantastic dinners. Trust me, Blake was not complaining a bit, in fact I think he was beginning to see if it was logistically possible for me to never return to work! However, when his sugar tooth caught up to him, he banned my dessert making. I remember he asked me not to make a dessert for that following week- so I did not. I resisted, I abandoned my creative thoughts with regards to sugar, chocolate, and butter. Then, he pulled the unthinkable... Just as we finished my fabulous dinner that evening he spoke those three little words, "What's for dessert?"
I think Paula has gotten to him, too.

******
So, I have made numerous desserts... But, this is the one that is still Blake's favorite. Just thought I would share.

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding
Courtesy of Paula Deen (but, of course!) 
Ingredients:
Butter, for dish
1 (16 to 20-inch loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
2 (13 1/2-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 (13 1/2-ounce) can cream of coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch mace
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, plus 1/2 cup, toasted for garnish
Chocolate Velvet Sauce, recipe follows

• Directions:
• Lightly butter the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes evenly in the dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, whole eggs, coconut milk, cream of coconut, salt, nutmeg, and mace. Stir in 1 cup of the coconut flakes. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, pressing the bread cubes gently to soak up the custard. Let the mixture stand for 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F... if you live in Singapore, this is where you use your Farenheit to Celcius app on the iPad. :)

Sprinkle the top of the pudding with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut flakes. Cover the baking dish with foil, poking a few holes in the top to release the steam. Put the baking dish into a roasting pan on the oven rack. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the baking dish from the water bath and run it under the broiler, at least 4 inches from the heat, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the pudding cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Pour the sauce over individual pudding servings, as desired. Top with toasted coconut and serve. 

Chocolate Velvet Sauce: Yes, you need this sauce, you can blame peer pressure. :)

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Make the chocolate sauce right before serving the pudding. Put the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over low heat; immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth.

Now, call Blake and invite him over... :)